Page 13 of Anchored

Maple’s Thirteenth Year Around the Sun Journal

(19 years ago)

Why are boys so dumb? UGH!

All I’ve been looking forward to all year is coming back to Anchor Lake and seeing Holt again. I even grew breasts over the last year! Got a cute haircut. Talked Mom into a jean skirt that shows off the tan I’ve been working on after school. I was ready to walk around this lake and have Holt fall at my feet, begging me to give him another chance.

But no.

I walked around the lake to see Macy Bechtol sucking face with MY crush!!!

Macy Bechtol!

I hate her so much.

She’s tall like me, but has raven-black hair with stunning blue eyes. She had breasts last summer too, but hers aren’t as big as mine. She’s got her red nails digging into Holt’s arms like she’s holding him against his will. Except that’s his hand coming around to cup her butt. Ew!

My face goes bright red and I turn on my heel, ready to run back to Grandma’s cabin and never leave for the whole stupid summer. But then my summer friends see me and come over for a group hug. I try to forget all about Holt, but not even ten minutes later, Macy walks up to our group and sneers at me.

“Hey! Mable, right?”

I clench my fists at my sides. I want to pull every single strand of hair out of her head. “Maple.”

She just smiles smugly. “Whatever.” She looks around at my friends, her upper lip curling. “What are you and your little friends up to this summer?”

My friends might not be as old as her or as sophisticated as her with her dainty ankle bracelet and piercing at the top of her ear, but they’re good friends.

“Same as you,” I answer confidently, meaning the bonfires and the summer activities around Anchor Lake.

But Macy takes offense. Her smug smile turns into a full-on sneer. “Oh, I don’t think so. I’m spending my summer with Holt while you weirdos play with bugs. We’re not the same.”

And then she saunters off, purposely going right up to Holt and sliding her arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. A few seconds later, she turns her head, looks right at me, and smiles.

GOD, I HATE HER.

He’s too good for her.

What does he even see in her???

And I am NOT weird.

(Okay, maybe a little bit, but we only played with that bug one time trying to save it after it almost drowned in the lake!)

UGH!!! I hate her!!

ChapterSix

Holt

“At this point, I feel a good portion of the confusion is due to the fall. She’s healing nicely from the concussion and I expect the mental fog to clear in a matter of days. Once back at baseline, I’ll come back to reassess and we can go from there.” Doctor Harrington pats Maple’s arm affectionately. “Right now Gracie just needs rest, sunshine, and her family.”

Maple is nodding her head vigorously. “Yes, yes, okay. We can do that.”

I clear my throat and intervene for the first time since the specialist came to check out Gracie. “Anything we shouldn’t do?”

Doctor Harrington addresses me. I notice I don’t get the same friendly pat on the arm. Then again, I don’t have a pair of breasts straining the fabric of a pale pink cotton T-shirt. “Keep her calm, let her get rest. I’d keep her in a wheelchair for now. Don’t get her too riled up. If she wants to get outside, do it.”

Maple is beginning to resemble a bobblehead. “Thanks, Doc.”

---